The Brooklyn Nets (3-1) had been rolling through the preseason as they faced a variety of teams while getting plenty of contributions from the majority of the roster. Brooklyn's final test of the preseason came against Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Miami Heat (3-1) and it's safe to say that the Nets still have some areas to clean up before their regular season begins next week.
The Nets lost to the Heat on Wednesday 144-128 in a game where not much defense was played by either side in the preseason finale for both teams. Forward Michael Porter Jr. had arguably his best scoring display of the preseason as he scored 27 points while guard Egor Demin had 17 points and three assists as the starting point guard.
Rookie guard Mikel Brown Jr.'s debut
(15 points, three rebounds off the bench) was ruined, in a sense, by the fact that the Nets had no answer for Heat forward Giannis Antekounmpo, who nearly triple-doubled with 20 points, 15 rebounds, and nine assists. Here are the Nets player grades following Wednesday's loss to Antetokounmpo and the Heat:
Egor Demin: B+
Demin remained in his spot as the starting point guard, even with rookie Mikel Brown Jr. being available for the first time this preseason, and he showed his ability to do a little bit of everything. Demin did a great job of shooting the ball from behind the three-point line while also being able to get to the free-throw line and he made some nice plays on the defensive end of the floor.
Keon Ellis: C
Ellis had his worst offensive game of the preseason as he couldn't get anything to fall against the Heat despite getting some decent looks off the catch and off the dribble. With that being said, Ellis did a great job of competing on the defensive end of the floor in such a fast-paced game and he came up with some steals to illustrate his pressure on the ball.
Michael Porter Jr.: B+
Even after adding Julius Randle to the roster, Porter has been positioned as the primary scorer on the team and he didn't disappoint going against Miami's defense. Porter was efficient with his shooting from all over the floor and while he didn't do much else that showed up in the box score, he did compete on the defensive end against the likes of Giannis Antetokounmpo and Andrew Wiggins.
Julius Randle: B-
Randle struggled mightily scoring the ball from anywhere on the floor and while he will always be looking for his chances to score, the hope is that he won't have too many of these shooting displays during the regular season. However, Randle showed his value as an all-around player as he played well on the boards and consistently found his teammates for easy shots when they were open.
Day'Ron Sharpe: B+
This was an interesting game for Sharpe as he seemingly stuffed the stat sheet, but he also struggled to stay on the floor due to foul trouble, mostly from guarding Antetokounmpo. Sharpe did a good job of scoring the ball from different spots on the floor and he made his impact on the glass and on the defensive end, but he will have to stay out of foul trouble if he's going to break out as a starting center.
Noah Clowney: B
Clowney was one of the main players to come off the bench in what was probably how the rotation will look on opening night and he had a decent outing. Clowney did a great job of shooting the ball from three-point range and despite having to guard players like Antetokounmpo on occasion, he still did a good job of staying locked in on the game and throwing his weight around when the moment called for it.
Mo Wagner: B
With Sharpe dealing with foul trouble, someone had to come off the bench at the center spot to produce and Wagner was able to meet the moment. Wagner did a great job of scoring the ball from all over the floor and while he has been more active on the glass over the course of his career, he brought his customary feistiness on the defensive end of the floor.
Mikel Brown Jr.: A
Brown made his preseason debut after missing Brooklyn's first three preseason games due to a left ankle injury and he impressed in multiple ways. Brown did a good job of scoring the ball at all three levels and he also displayed his passing ability and his ability to get into the defensive passing lanes thanks to his positional size and athleticism as a bigger guard.
Nolan Traore: B
Traore had been having a wonderful preseason coming into this game, but he didn't let that relax him as he continued to show his newfound blend of scoring and passing as the backup point guard. Traore did a great job of scoring the ball in the paint and his passing was one of the main reasons that Brooklyn was able to keep up with Miami in the second half.
This article originally appeared on Nets Wire: Nets player grades after 144-128 preseason finale loss to Heat
